Flag lock



' Nov. 24, 1936.

o G. SAUNDERS ET Al. 2,061,636

FLAG LOCK Filed Sept. 23, 1951 INVENTORS mmders BY George 6. Cfirmi' i ATTORNE V Patented Nov. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLAG LOCKOliver G. Saunders, Dayton,

Ohio, and George A.

Christ, Jamaica, N. Y., assignors, by mesne assignments, to CentralUnited National Bank,

7 Claims.

Numerous patents, such as the patent to Julius Gluck 1,744,307, patentedJanuary 21, 1930, show means whereby when the flag of a taximeter isreturned to its home position it must be rotated slightlycounter-clockwise before it can be again moved into its recordingposition. For instance, if the normal rotation of the flag is clockwise,it is stopped in its home position and moved slightly anti-clockwise inorder to unlock the flag so that it can be again moved clockwise intoits recording position. The object of such a construction is to provideample time for the resetting means for the fare drums to function sothat the fare drums will be completely reset to zero before the flag ismoved into its recording position. In practice, however, it is foundthat unscrupulous drivers of taxicabs will perform these movements sofast that the resetting means for the fare register drums hasinsufiicient time to reset the said drums so that the driver is enabledto over-charge the succeeding passenger by the amount representing thedifference between what the drum showed in the partially reset positionand what they should have indicated had they been completely reset. Thisover-charge is not recorded by the taximeter and the driver is enabledto successfully defraud the passenger to the extent of the saidover-charge.

The object of our invention is to provide mechanism to insure the flagshaft being stopped in its home position and if the driver attempts toperform the operations quickly so as to prevent the fare drums resettingmeans having time to function, it will be necessary for him to make adouble operation of rotating the flag slightly in a direction reverse toits normal rotation. For instance, if the direction of rotation of theflag is clockwise and if he slams it in a clockwise direc-v tion to itshome position, he is compelled to move it slightly anti-clockwise, thenclockwise, then anti-clockwise and thereafter to move it to itsrecording position. This double operation of the movement of the flagand the flag shaft insures a sufficient lapse of time to enable the faredrums to be completely reset to zero.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of our improved mechanism mounted on theback plate of a taximeter the flag having been moved slightly clockwisefrom it's normal position and then released;

Figure 2 is a detailed elevational view of certain of the parts shown inFigure 1;

Figure 3 is a detailed view of the releasing detent;

Figure 4 is a detailed perspective View of the stopping detent; and

Figure 5 is a detailed perspective view of the locking detent.

The back plate I of the taximeter has journaled therein a fiag shaft 2to which is secured the flag 3. Secured to the flag shaft is a ratchet 4provided with arcuate surfaces 5, 6, l and 8 and antirotation ratchetteeth 9. Each of the arcuate surfaces 5, 8 and 1 lie immediatelyadjacent cam surfaces H1 while the arcuate surface 8 terminates inabrupt shoulders H and 12, the shoulder 12 being similar to abruptshoulders l3 forming a part of the ratchet teeth 9. The cam shaft 2 alsohas secured thereto a disk 14 provided with a stop lug having an abruptshoulder it on one side thereof.

In Figure 1 I have shown the parts in their normal position; that is,with the flag in its home or For hire position. A lever I'l engagesrollers l8 carried by any part rotatable with the flag, such as theratchet 4. The lever is urged upwardly by means of a spring 69, theobject of these parts being to maintain the flag in any one of its foursignificant positions, which are as follows: its home or For hireposition, which is when the flag is up as shown in Figure 1; itsrecording position, which is when the flag is rotated clockwise degreesfrom the position shown in Figure 1; its second recording position,which is when the flag has been rotated degrees from the position shownin Figure 1; and its non-recording position, which is when the flag hasbeen rotated 270 degrees from the position shown in Figure 1. Ananti-rotation pawl 20 is pivoted on a pin 2| secured to the back plate Iand the nose 22 of the said pawl is urged into engagement with theratchet 4 by means of a spring 23. The pawl 20 prevents the flag beingrotated in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow in Figure 1 by engaging the ratchet teeth 9, but in case the nose 22 should beon any one of the arcuate surfaces 5, 6, "l or 8, it, of course, wouldnot prevent this anti-rotation of the flag until it engaged one of theabrupt shoulders 13.

A pivot pin 24 is secured to the back plate I and on this pivot pin isrotatably mounted a locking detent 25 having a nose 26 which, when theparts are in their home position, rests on the cam surface 10 as shownin Figure 1. The nose 50 of this locking detent is urged into engagementWith the ratchet by means of a spring 21. An arm 28 of the lockingdetent is provided with a block 29 to which is secured a guide plate orspring 30 having an over-turned arm 3| spaced 55 sufficiently from thearm 28 so as to receive therebetween a pin 32 carried by a releasingdetent 33 mounted on a pin 34 which is carried by the back plate I ofthe taximeter. The releasing detent is provided with a lug 35 whichreceives a spring 36 having its other end connected to a pin 31 mountedin the back plate I. The releasing detent 33 is also provided with anose 38 which, when the flag is in its home position, rests on top ofthe arcuate surface 6, the spring 36 holding it in engagement therewith.

A plate 39 is secured to the back plate I and this plate is providedwith a lug 40 having a cam surface 4| on the right hand side thereof asviewed in Figure 1, which cam surface extends downwardly and to theright. The plate 39 is also provided with a pin 42 which may be in theform of a headed screw which extends through a slot 43 in a stoppingdetent 44 which has an arm 45 to which is fixed a spring 46 having itsother end connected to the back plate I. The stopping detent 44 is alsoprovided with a nose 41 which has an abrupt upper surface 48 and asloping outer surface 49 which rests against the cam surface 4| and isheld in engagement therewith by means of the spring 46. The stoppingdetent 44 is also provided with a stop shoulder 50 having a pin 5| whichis engaged by the hooked end of a lever 52 pivoted on a pin 53 mountedin the back plate I. The lever 52 has a downwardly extending arm 54which carries a roller 55 lying in the path of movement of the stop lugI5. The back plate I has secured thereto a fixed block 56 provided witha shoulder 51.

As shown in Figure 1, the flag has been partially released; that is, itis not locked against rotation by means of the stopping detent 44. Itcan be rotated into its degree or recording position by rotating itfirst in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 1, then in a reversedirection thereto and then in the direction of the arrow to its 90degree position. As it is given a slight rotation in the direction ofthe arrow, the nose 38 rides on the arcuate surface 6 and is held inengagement therewith by means of the spring 36. This rotation isstopped, however, when the abrupt shoulder II of the arcuate surface 13engages the nose 26 of the locking detent 25 so that further rotation inthe direction of the arrow is impossible. By this time, however, thearcuate surface 6 has been moved beyond the nose 38 of the releasingdetent 33 and the spring 36 rotates the releasing detent 33 in aclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 1 so that the nose 3!! thereofdrops down into the position shown in Figure 2. When the fiag is nowrotated in the direction opposite to the arrow shown in Figure 1, theabrupt shoulder which extends from the left hand end of the arcuatesurface 6 as viewed in Figures 1 and 2 engages the nose 3B and rocks thereleasing detent 33 a little further in a clockwise direction until theextreme end of the nose lies against the bottom of the abrupt shoulder.As the releasing detent 33 is being so rotated, its pin 32 has beenengaging the arm 28 of the locking detent 25 thereby rotating the detent25 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figures 1 and 2 so as todisengage the nose 26 of the locking detent 25 from the abrupt shoulderII. When the releasing detent 33 has been rotated clockwise as abovedescribed and has removed the nose 26 out of engagement with theshoulder I I, the pin 32 continues to hold the nose in its elevatedposition so that it cannot again engage the shoulder II until thereleasing detent 33 is engaged by the shoulder to the right of thearcuate surface 5 as viewed in Figures 1 and 2. The releasing detent 33thus holds the nose 26 out of engagement with the shoulder II untilafter the shoulder II has passed beneath the locking detent. The flag isnow free to be rotated to its 90 degree position and after being sorotated it can be moved to its second recording, nonrecording and backto its home position.

When the flag is being rotated from its home position to its 90 degreeposition, the stop lug I5 engages the roller 55 carried by the lever 52and rotates the said lever anti-clockwise as viewed in Figure 1. As thesaid lever is being thus rotated it pulls the stopping detent 44downwardly through the pin 5| so that the nose 41 is brought beneath thelowermost portion of tthe lug 40 and the spring 46 now rotates thestopping detent 44 clockwise as viewed in Figure 1 so as to engage thesaid nose 41 beneath the lug 40 where it is held while the flagcompletes its movement through its various recording and non-recordingpositions back to its home position.

If the driver snaps the flag into its home position, the stop lug I5engages the stop shoulder 50 of the stopping detent 44 and presses thesaid stopping detent against the shoulder 51 of the fixed block 56. Itwill now be necessary for the driver to move the fiag slightlyanti-clockwise as viewed in Figure 1 so as to disengage the stop lug I5from the stop shoulder 50 so that the spring 46 can retract the stoppingdetent 44. After this is done, he will then have to rotate the flag in aclockwise direction, then in an anticlockwise direction and again in aclockwise direction as heretofore described in order to move the, flaginto its recording position. The function, therefore, of the stoppingdetent 44 is to prevent the driver moving the flag from itsnon-recording or 270 degree position more than a few degrees beyond itshome position. He must stop the fiag either at or very slightly beyondits home position and after so stopping it and after releasing thedetent 44 from the lug 40, he must then perform three additionalmovements in order to rotate the flag into its recording position.

We realize that many changes may be made in the specific form of theinvention as shown in this application and we, therefore, desire toclaim the same broadly except as we may limit ourselves in the appendedclaims.

Having now described our invention, we claim:

1. In a taximeter, a fiag, a stop member rotatable therewith, a slideprovided with a stop shoulder, a fixed member, said stop member engagingsaid shoulder on said slide and moving said slide into engagement withsaid fixed member so as to limit movement of the flag at its homeposition, means to release said slide by the operation of the flag,means to withdraw said slide out of the path of movement of said stopmember and means whereby said flag is again arrested in approximatelyits home position.

2. In a taximeter, a flag, a stop member rotatable therewith, a slide, anose carried thereby, a fixed lug, and means whereby said slide isdepressed and said nose is moved under said lug while said fiag is beingrotated, said slide when thus depressed being in the path of movement ofsaid stop member so as to limit movement of said stop member and flagwhen the flag is rotated to substantially its home position.

3. In a taximeter, a fiag, a stop member rotatable therewith, a slide, anose carried thereby, a fixed lug, means whereby said slide is depressedand said nose is moved under said lug while said flag is being rotated,said slide when thus depressed being in the path of movement of saidstop member so as to limit movement of said stop member and flag whenthe flag is rotated to substantially its home position, and means toremove said slide. out of engagement with said stop member while saidflag remains in substantially its home position.

4. In a register, a fiag shaft, a member secured thereto, a shoulder onsaid member, a stopping detent provided with a slot, guide means passingthrough said slot, a lug, a nose on said stopping detent, means wherebysaid stopping detent is depressed during the rotation of said shaft, a.spring whereby the nose on the stopping detent is moved beneath said lugso as to hold said stopping detent in depressed position until theshoulder engages the stopping detent, said shoulder being so positionedthat when the shaft is in its home position the nose on said detent willremain beneath said lug but when the shaft is moved slightly beyond itshome position the nose will be disengaged from said lug and the saidspring will elevate said stopping detent out of the path of movement ofsaid shoulder.

5. In a register, a fiag shaft, a member secured thereto, a shoulder onsaid member, a stopping detent provided with a slot, a guide and holdingmeans passing through said slot, a fixed lug, a nose on said detent,means to depress said detent during the rotation of said shaft, a springto move said nose beneath said lug when the detent is depressed so thatsaid detent will be in the path of movement of said shoulder, a fixedstop, said shoulder when being rapidly rotated by said shaft engagingsaid detent and releasing said nose from beneath said lug and pressingsaid detent against said stop so as to lock said shaft against furtherrotation.

6. In a register, a fiag shaft, a member secured thereto, a shoulder onsaid member, a stopping detent provided with a slot, a guide and holdingmeans passing through said slot, a fixed lug, a nose on said detent,means to depress said detent during the rotation of said shaft, a springto move said nose beneath said lug when the detent is depressed so thatsaid detent will be in the path of movement of said shoulder, a fixedstop, said shoulder when being rapidly rotated by said shaft engagingsaid detent and releasing said nose from beneath said lug and pressingsaid detent against said stop so as to lock said shaft against furtherrotation, said spring serving as a means to elevate saiddetent when theshaft is rotated reversely so as to relieve the pressure between saidshoulder, stopping detent, and stop.

7. In a register, a rotatable shaft, a member secured thereto providedwith a notch, a nose on said member, a pawl to engage said notch to stopsaid shaft in a predetermined position when the shaft is being operatedin its normal rotation, a releasing detent actuated by said nose whenthe shaft is reversely rotated, means whereby the releasing detent whenso actuated releases the pawl from said notch, a stopping detent, aspring to release said stopping detent, a fixed stop, said stoppingdetent preventing the normal rotation of said shaft when the stoppingdetent is forced against the fixed stop in case the shaft is snappedbeyond its home position so as to prevent the said nose from releasingthe releasing detent.

OLIVER G. SAUNDERS. GEORGE A. CHRIST.

